Box-cover



(No Model.)

B. M. SPENCER. BOX COVER.

'No. 598,581. Patented Feb. 8 1898.

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RICHARD M. SPENCER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

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srnoirrcnrxoiv forming part in Letters Patent to. 598,581, dated February 8, 1898..

Application filed March 17,1897

T0 aZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, Brennan M. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Covers and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to'make, use, and practice the same.

This invention relates to improvements in boxes, and more particularly to that class of boxes which are constructed so that the cover is maintained in position on the box by fitting the same closely.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cover for a box constructed in accordance'with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side View of the cover shown in position on the box-body. Fig. 3 is a side view of the cover, showing its position in being removed from and placed on the box-body. Fig. 4 is a side view of the cover on the box provided with an attachment for use during transportation. Fig. 5 is a view of an alternative construction whereby the boxcover and the top are strengthened and rendered more rigid.

The particular class of boxes to which this invention has relation is that known as hatboxes, and more particularly to those hat-' boxes which are constructed of cardboard. These particular boxes are subject to the disadvantage of showing wear in being handled by the retailer in removing and replacing the covers on the boxes. I11 order that the covers be not displaced during transportation, they are made to fit the box-body very snugly. This results in the sides of the box-body being broken and rumpled when the cover is being removed or replaced, for the reason that the material of which the hat-box is con structed is very easily marred. It is the purpose of this present invention to overcome this objection, for which purpose it consists in separating the flange or rim into sections and connecting the sections by some resilient material.

As shown in the drawings, the cover A is constructed of any known or desired form and is provided with a flange or rim B. This flange or rim B is separated into two halves Eierial No. 628,023. (No model.)

is permitted to bendon a line drawn between the two points of severance of the rim, as shown in Fig. 3. The two sections are connected at their abutting ends by a strip of woven rubber O or other suitable resilient material, which draws the ends together and which will permit the bending of the top of the cover, as shown in Fig. 3, though normally maintaining a drawing strain on the sections of the rim or flange to cause them to hug the body of the box, as shown in Fig. 2.

I have shown'the strip or piece of woven rubber O in the drawings as fastened to the ends of the sections of the rim. It is obvious,however, that this construction may be altered by providing any of many well-known methods or means of attaching this material to the cardboard of the sections, such as, for instance, wire clips or staples driven through and clenched about the ends of the sections and the rubber piece 0.

Another alternativeof the shown construction, which the same would naturally suggest,

is that of bending in loop form a piece of spring-wire, letting the free ends of the loop extend to the lower edge of the cut or separation in the sections and secured to the ends of the sections by any suitable means.

WVith the tpp constructed as shown and described the operation of removing it from and replacing it on the body of the box is very readily accomplished without necessitating such strains as would mar either the body of the box or the cover. This operation consists in lifting the one side of the cover carrying the entire one half or section of the rim B until the cover is caused to assume the position shown in Fig.3,when it is readily removed from the top of the box. The same operation, as far as the cover is concerned, is followed in replacing the cover on the body that is to say, the one half of the cover is placed in position, as shown in Fig. 3, slightly raised. The first half having been adjusted the second readily finds its exact position when released from the position shown in Fig. 3.

It is sometimes desired in transportation, when the boxes are to a greater or less ex tent roughly handled and where it is feared the resilient connections 0 might relax sufficiently to permit the cover to fall off theboxbody, that the joint be made rigid. For this purpose I employ a small paper slip D, the back of which is suitably prepared with an adhesive material, and which, after the box has been packed and made ready for shipment, is pasted in position over the joint and the resilient connection 0. lVith this slip D in position the two sections of the rim are rigidly connected and the construction will not now permit of the cover being displaced by rough handling. A further advantage in the use of this slip Dis that a tighter grasp on the side of the body of the boX maybe obtained by drawing the slip as it is placed in position. This may be accomplished by thoroughly wetting the slip and stretching it as it is placed in position to permit its drawing in contracting.

As a further carrying out of the spirit of this invention I have shown in Fig. 5 a form of cover and top of box-body which renders the displacement of cover during transportation impossible and also renders the general construction much stronger. This consists in the introduction of the groove D D therein shown. In this form it would be impossible to lift the cover directly from the boxbody, while, however, it is very easily accomplished by means of the bending spring-drawn cover shown and described.

Having described this invention, it is claimed 1. In a box such as described, a cover having a rim formed in sections and provided with a rubber strip secured to the abutting ends of the sections to draw them together, substantially as described.-

2. In a boX such as described, a cover having a rim formed in sections, and having a rubber strip secured to the abutting ends of the sections to draw them together, in combination with a non-resilient slip drawn between and fastened to the ends of the sections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of March, 1897.

RICHARD M. SPENCER. Witnesses:

BALDWIN VALE, Jno. S. RoBBINs. 

